Mid-Level Practitioners and Their Supervising Physicians– Documentation Required?
PAAS National® has seen a recent uptick in the number of prescriptions being found discrepant for missing the supervising physician when written by a mid-level practitioner (e.g. physician assistant or nurse practitioner). Laws pertaining to mid-level practitioners are specific to each state and may differ between physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Because these regulations may be found through the Board of Medicine or Board of Nursing, pharmacies are not always aware of the requirements to make a valid prescription. In particular, many states require the name of the supervising physician be present on the prescription hard copy.
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PAAS Tips:
- Check your state’s laws regarding what is required for a valid prescription, including those through the Board of Pharmacy, Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing
- Physician assistants and nurse practitioners may have separate requirements under the Boards of Medicine and Nursing
- Check with your software vendor to see if the supervising physician is being transmitted by the doctor’s office but not pulling forward on an electronic prescription
- There may be a “short” and “long” version of the electronic prescription that can be printed
- If a supervising doctor is required on a prescription but not present, call the prescriber’s office to find out who the supervisor is and note the name on the prescription
PAAS National® is committed to serving your needs and helping you reduce audit risk.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to joining PAAS in 2017, I worked for Walgreens for 19 years.
As an Analyst at PAAS, I really enjoy being able to help independent pharmacies succeed. I have always been a fan of the underdog and am excited to be able to give you the tools you need to take on the giants of the PBM industry.
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